Rhino
's -- or, more accurately,
Sire
/
Warner
's --
Best of Talking Heads
follows 2003's box set
Once in a Lifetime
by a year, and it features the same remastering from that set. It also shares part of a title with the 1992 U.K. compilation
The Best of Talking Heads: Once in a Lifetime
, which was released the same year as the American double-disc overview
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. Given the similar titles, similar release dates, and similar track listings, it's easy to get confused at first, but all you need to know is that if you're looking for a comprehensive collection, get the
box, and if you want a disc of hits, get this single-disc
collection. Not that the 2004
has every hit or well-known song --
"I Zimbra,"
"Born Under Punches,"
"Crosseyed and Painless,"
"Swamp,"
and
"Stay Up Late"
could all have been here and all are missed -- but at 18 tracks, this is a generous compilation and draws a better portrait of the band than not just the 1992 single-disc compilation, but arguably the patchwork
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as well. For the casual fan, this is likely all they'll need to have, and for others, it's a good place to get acquainted with the band. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine